Acts of Parliament

These are laws made by the New Zealand Parliament. There are three main types of Act:

public Acts: Acts that are of general application; most Acts are Public Acts

local Acts: Acts that affect a particular locality only

private Acts: Acts that are for the particular interest or benefit of a person or body.

Bills

Proposed Acts are called Bills. Most Bills are drafted by the PCO. Bills are categorised as Government Bills, Members' Bills, local Bills, and private Bills. Proposed amendments to a Bill may be set out in a document known as a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP).

Legislative Instruments

instruments made by a Minister that amend an Act or define the meaning of a term used in an Act

instruments required to be published under the Legislation Act 2012

some resolutions of the House of Representatives.

Most regulations and rules, and many notices, orders, determinations, and warrants, are Legislative Instruments.

Legislative Instruments are made under the authority of empowering legislation, except those that are resolutions of the House of Representatives. See the annual tables Acts and other authorities under which Legislative Instruments are made. All Legislative Instruments are drafted by the PCO, except those that are resolutions of the House of Representatives.

Legislative Instruments are a type of disallowable instrument, as defined in section 38 of the Legislation Act 2012.

Legislative Instruments have an LI reference number. However, those made between 5 August 2013 and 31 December 2013 were published as part of the Statutory Regulations (SR) series and have an SR reference number instead.

On the New Zealand Legislation website, documents that before 5 August 2013 were located under "Regulations" are now located under "Legislative Instruments".

Other subordinate legislation

This includes certain other laws (that are not Legislative Instruments) made by Ministers of the Crown, public officials, local bodies, and other individuals and entities with law-making powers. Most of this type of legislation is not drafted by the PCO.

Some of these laws are published in the New Zealand Gazette. Others can be obtained from the agency responsible for them.

Instruments that are disallowable instruments (as defined in section 38(1)(b) of the Legislation Act 2012) are available through the New Zealand Legislation website. There they are called Other Instruments (previously called Deemed Regulations).

Tables of legislation in force

The annual Tables of New Zealand Acts and Ordinances and Statutory Regulations and Deemed Regulations in Force was a series published by the PCO in printed form only. The 2013 Tables (up to 1 January 2014) was the last volume published. The series was discontinued because information is available in various forms through the New Zealand Legislation website. More information about the Tables »